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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  2. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  3. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  4. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  5. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  6. He is an ace ________________.
  7. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  8. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  9. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  15. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  16. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  17. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  18. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  19. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  20. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  21. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  22. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  23. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  24. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. bat — in an idiom
  2. lean — to bend
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. bank — of a river
  6. pitcher — in baseball
  7. bat — the animal
  8. bank — for money
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. straw — to clutch at straws
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. straw — a straw man
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. toast — a drink to someone
  17. straw — dry grass
  18. toast — bread
  19. perch — the fish
  20. bank — for money
  21. toast — the most admired
  22. lean — thin
  23. bat — for baseball
  24. lean — to rest against

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com